Resources for the self-employed

Guides to understand and run your activity

Find clear answers about registering, invoicing, expenses, taxes and the situations that arise when working for yourself in Spain.

Getting started as self-employed

What to do before and during registration, what it costs and when registration is mandatory.

Register as autónomo in Spain: steps, flat rate and 2026 contributionRegistering as autónomo in Spain takes two procedures: modelo 036 with the Tax Agency and the RETA registration through Importass. With Finlai the registration is included at no additional charge with every subscription and filed within 2 hours of receiving your documents, with a tax advisor who picks your IAE heading, VAT and income tax regime and contribution base with you. The flat rate brings the contribution down to €80 a month in the first year; without it, the 2026 minimum contribution is €205.88 a month.

International and special situations

Cases that need more context: foreign clients, no income, digital nomads and the Beckham Law.

Can I freelance in Spain without being autónomo?The answer has nuances. To issue an invoice and declare the income, in practice you need at least the tax registration (modelo 036), and that income goes into your Spanish income tax whatever the amount. Paying into the RETA (Social Security) depends on whether the activity is "habitual". There is no legal threshold that exempts you from registering, only a judicial criterion that uses the minimum wage as an indicator.Digital nomad visa vs autónomo in SpainThey are not the same. The digital nomad visa is an immigration authorisation for eligible non-EU remote workers. Autónomo registration covers self-employed tax and Social Security obligations. A self-employed applicant may need both; an employee follows different contribution rules. Nationality, the real working relationship, tax residence and any international Social Security coverage must be checked separately.Beckham Law for freelancers and relocated workers in SpainThe Beckham Law is Spain's tax regime for people relocating to the country (the impatriate regime): a flat 24 % up to 600,000 € for six years. But it does not apply to most freelancers: a professional invoicing Spanish clients cannot use it just by registering with RETA. Here is who can, the requirements and how to apply, with no small print.How to invoice EU and foreign clients as self-employed in SpainTo invoice an EU or other foreign customer from Spain, their country is not enough. You must separate goods from services, businesses from consumers and EU from non-EU customers; then review the VAT rule, invoice details and, when applicable, ROI, VIES and modelo 349. This guide explains the common services cases and flags the exceptions that need individual advice.

Accountancy and how Finlai works

When you need an accountant, how to switch and what happens to your documents and taxes in Finlai.

How Finlai worksFinlai is an online gestoría for freelancers (autónomos) in Spain that pairs software with real tax advisors: you issue invoices, connect your bank, upload expenses, the AI reads them and your advisor validates every movement before preparing and filing your tax forms with the AEAT. This page documents, capability by capability, how Finlai works under the hood.

Calculators for the self-employedEstimate contributions, VAT, income tax, net income, deductions and other business figures.Open calculators